---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not my political ideas. Conservatism…"
description: "\"Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this house. First and foremost I’m a businessman. My first goal is to attract the largest possible audi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg"
---

#  Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this…

![“Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this house. First and foremost I’m a businessman. My first goal is to attract the largest possible audience so I can charge confiscatory ad rates. I happen to have great entertainment skills, but that enables me to sell airtime.” quote by Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg)

> “Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this house. First and foremost I’m a businessman. My first goal is to attract the largest possible audience so I can charge confiscatory ad rates. I happen to have great entertainment skills, but that enables me to sell airtime.”

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He frames his media work as a business first, emphasizing audience size and ad revenue over any political stance.

**In simple terms:** Business motives drive his media output.

Key Takeaway

Profit can eclipse ideology.

Themes

media business politics advertising

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political commentary business insight

When to use this quote

- broadcast strategy
- content monetization

Key Concepts

media economics agenda‑setting

Practical Applications

- focus on audience metrics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does profit motive shape public discourse?
- Can a media figure be both businessman and genuine advocate?

A Different Perspective

Audience size alone does not guarantee influence without compelling content.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Businessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businessman/) [Conservatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatism/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/)

## Related quotes

> [Unlike liberalism, with its fundamental belief in the long-range power of ideas, conservatism is bound by the stock of ideas inherited at a given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/unlike-liberalism-with-its-fundamental-belief-in-the-long-range-power/)

[Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/)

> [I want the little lassies who are thinking of going to a nightclub in Cardiff to stop to see what that guy's screaming for,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-waddell/i-want-the-little-lassies-who-are-thinking-of-going-to-a-nightclub-in/)

[Sid Waddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-waddell/)

> [We are trying to capture the widest possible audience all around the world. In other words, we are trying to capture the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/we-are-trying-to-capture-the-widest-possible-audience-all-around-the/)

[Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/)

> [We should not speak so that it is possible for the audience to understand us, but so that it is impossible for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintilian/we-should-not-speak-so-that-it-is-possible-for-the-audience-to/)

[Quintilian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintilian/)

> [Besides, hysteria is only possible with an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/besides-hysteria-is-only-possible-with-an-audience/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [I spent my career trying to speak to the broadest possible audience whether it's in print or whether it's in television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/i-spent-my-career-trying-to-speak-to-the-broadest-possible-audience/)

[Gwen Ifill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-ifill/)

> [Everything that I do is very autobiographical. I'm trying to be as much of an open book as possible and give the audience every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dua-lipa/everything-that-i-do-is-very-autobiographical-i-m-trying-to-be-as/)

[Dua Lipa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dua-lipa/)

> [I don't want to become an ivory tower filmmaker. That sounds peculiar, but I want to be a mainstream filmmaker. I want the largest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/i-don-t-want-to-become-an-ivory-tower-filmmaker-that-sounds-peculiar/)

[Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/)

> [I want to sing for the broadest possible audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-torme/i-want-to-sing-for-the-broadest-possible-audience/)

[Mel Torme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-torme/)

> [ \[The writer\] wants both to do the best possible work and also to reach the largest possible audience. The result is a fairly normal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/the-writer-wants-both-to-do-the-best-possible-work-and-also-to-reach/)

[Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/)

> [I don't think we've ever known what the hell's going on when we do Tap shows. It's possible the audience are effectively getting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/i-don-t-think-we-ve-ever-known-what-the-hell-s-going-on-when-we-do/)

[Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/)

> [Also, most people read fiction as an escape - and I wonder whether my books aren't a bit too grounded in reality to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/also-most-people-read-fiction-as-an-escape-and-i-wonder-whether-my/)

[Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/)

> [There isn't a specific Trump philosophy. That's why you're never gonna be able to pin Trump down on. He doesn't have a political philosophy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-isn-t-a-specific-trump-philosophy-that-s-why-you-re-never-gonna/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Conservatism, by itself, is not the defeating agent for liberalism today. At one point I was among many who thought it would be. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/conservatism-by-itself-is-not-the-defeating-agent-for-liberalism/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Conservatism is an active intellectual pursuit; it requires a constant vigilance. It has nothing to do with feelings. Liberalism is the most gutless choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/conservatism-is-an-active-intellectual-pursuit-it-requires-a-constant/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## More by Rush Limbaugh

> [You can criticize Trump and his wealth all day long, but you can't say he hasn't worked. You can say that about the Clintons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/you-can-criticize-trump-and-his-wealth-all-day-long-but-you-can-t-say/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [How do you, on the one hand, not object to Hillary Clinton being elected, and then, on the other hand, tell people, "Elect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/how-do-you-on-the-one-hand-not-object-to-hillary-clinton-being/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ The real leadership of the opposition is never, ever gonna do anything but continue to ramp up efforts to stop \[Donald\] Trump or destroy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-real-leadership-of-the-opposition-is-never-ever-gonna-do-anything/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I can't see the Democrats working with Donald Trump on tax reform unless the rich get soaked. The thing about this that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-can-t-see-the-democrats-working-with-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [People from all over the world came to America and assimilated into a single culture rooted in the founding, which is rooted in individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/people-from-all-over-the-world-came-to-america-and-assimilated-into-a/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The left wants to transform America away from founding ideals, and this is it. And they know it. And they're doing everything they, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-wants-to-transform-america-away-from-founding-ideals-and/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [There is an all-out assault now on the Christian community in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-is-an-all-out-assault-now-on-the-christian-community-in-this/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ Four states where \[Democrats\] have the governorship and both houses of the legislature. That's it. They have lost seats. They are not gonna win… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/four-states-where-democrats-have-the-governorship-and-both-houses-of/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

[Explore all 2,819 Rush Limbaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## More Ads quotes

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/)

[Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/)

> [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/)

Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

> [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/)

[Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/)

> [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/)

[Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/)

> [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/)

[Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/)

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I am terrible at memorizing things. Hence, ad-libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-am-terrible-at-memorizing-things-hence-ad-libbing/)

[Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/)

> [In a recent attack ad, the NRA claims that President Obama cares about his own children more than he cares about other children. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-a-recent-attack-ad-the-nra-claims-that-president-obama-cares-about/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

> [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/)

[Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/)

> [We assumed the customers were smart and that they'll buy what they like, not what the ads tell them to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/we-assumed-the-customers-were-smart-and-that-they-ll-buy-what-they/)

[Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/)

Browse all 856 Ads quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this house. First and foremost I’m a businessman. My first goal is to attract the largest possible audience so I can charge confiscatory ad rates. I happen to have great entertainment skills, but that enables me to sell airtime.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rush Limbaugh"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn-t-buy-this-house-first-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ads"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn-t-buy-this-house-first-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/rush-limbaugh-28_ads_not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn_109672.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this house. First and foremost I’m a businessman. My first…” — Rush Limbaugh",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rush Limbaugh",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn-t-buy-this-house-first-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/not-my-political-ideas-conservatism-didn-t-buy-this-house-first-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
